Three Sheets to the Wind
by KibaElunal
Summary: Upon the high seas of Runeterra, no sailor has more love for the freedom than Flynn Lockheart, a fledgling Cabin Boy on his uncle's fishing vessel. But when his uncle is taken out by a bounty hunter, Flynn finds himself the protege of the mysterious Miss Fortune. Eager for adventure the crew sets sail for treasure, action, and adventure. (Set in the ABAHF universe. Standalone.)
1. Chapter 1

Three Sheets to the Wind Ch. 1

Author's Note: So, the other night I finished beating The Legend of Zelda: Windwaker and as the credits stopped rolling in the end, I managed to find myself incredibly inspired to start up a story I'd been considering doing about one of my personal favorites of the Bilgewater crew: Miss Fortune. Now I imagine you have a lot of questions regarding to her 'state' due to what happened to her in A Boy and His Fox, my response to which is you'll just have to wait and see. Of course this story is Rated M, as you no doubt have already notice by finding this chapter, and you can also expect there to be more chapters in the near future. So to all of you readers who are possessed by the wander lust and aren't content without being out beneath the open skies or near the beautiful blue ocean, this one's for you. Get ready for an adventure upon the high seas, it's time to set sail. -Kiba Elunal

As always, I greatly appreciate any donations you guys are able to afford. I'm still searching for a job with little luck, but every dollar you guys give me helps me in a big way. If you would like to donate, use the paypal button on my Tumblr: kibavulpuselunal. tumblr. com. Obviously I can't put in the full link so you'll have to use that. I also post something of a series on writing tips on my Tumblr, should you guys be interested in that. As always, I'd love it if you reviewed, favorited, and shared this story. Thank you all so very much.

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The deep sparkling blue oceans of Runeterra rolled out from beneath me in every direction. The sun's rays sparkled off its surface as though its waves were made of polished glass that the ship now rode upon. Tucking my hat down further over my eyes I grinned, drawing my sabre and pointing it off the bow of the ship. "Full speed ahead mateys!" I crowed at the top of my lungs, taking a deep whiff of the salty air that blew through my long hair. There I was, King of the Pirates! The whole ocean was mine to take from, and none would dare be foolish enough to cross me. Best of all, I could do what I wanted, whenever I wanted and I wouldn't have to take lip from anyone!

"Flynn!" A harsh old voice snapped causing me to immediately turn back around, nearly losing my footing and taking a fall into the drink. I looked up into the mean wrinkled face of my uncle, Alexander Lockheart, who insisted I called him 'Captain' or 'Boss.' Like that would ever happen. Angrily picking me up by the scruff of my shirt he put me on my feet after shaking me around like a rag doll. "What have I told you about all this daydreaming nonsense?!" He demanded. Just as I opened my mouth to reply he shoved a mop into my hands hard. "Shut up!" He boomed. "Get back to moppin' the deck or else I'll have half a mind to lock you in the brig." As he stormed off back towards his quarters I sighed to myself.

Okay, so I'm not the King of Pirates. Or, even really a pirate…yet. But someday I will be. It was in my blood. My father, the notorious 'Black Heart' was successful…up until he got busted for smuggling some low quality goods to one of the poorer outset islands. His name was more of an ironic one, my father was very much a benevolent pirate. Stole from the government, gave it to the people who needed it most. I know it's cliché. The son of a folk hero wanting to become a hero, but give me a break, it's ever boy's dream to live up to his father. I was three years old when Demacia executed him…such was the price for pirates caught in that region of the world. Then…my uncle took me in. If you could call him that. The truth was, my uncle treated me worse than most of the other cabin boys on his tiny fishing junker. Pays me about half as much too. 'Can't put a price on family', he always says. I think he takes that saying way out of context. But I'm grateful, without my uncle I'd never get the chance to be on the sea where I belong.

Dipping the mop in the brackish cleaning water I began to scrub the polished wood of the foredeck as my uncle instructed me. With every swipe of the mop I could barely distinguish the amount of dried blood and guts from fish were removed. I didn't really understand why I had to clean this anyway, it'd get dirty again with the new haul back to the point where it was so there wasn't much point to cleaning it. But, I'm not dumb enough to tell him that. I continued to mop before pausing to look longingly out at the ocean's waves again. I wondered what lay on the other side of Runeterra. Everyone who'd ever gone hadn't come back. Did that mean that whatever was over there killed them…or what if they found something so wonderful and amazing they never came back? Either way, the place was mysterious and unknown, and it caused a tugging in my heart that I couldn't begin to explain to anyone else.

As I continued to watch, I noticed a dark shape starting to form upon the horizon. Another ship? Looking closer, I pulled out the telescope I kept hidden in my pocket from my uncle and placed it to my eye, seeking some kind of flags. I didn't truly expect trouble from pirates or anything, to be honest identifying flags is really more of a hobby of mine. Well ships in general really. After the twenty years I've spent from the day my uncle took me in to now I've come to know every part of the ship, how to fix it, and most importantly, how to take it apart. When I get upset with my uncle, I wait for him to fall asleep before I stop up his scupper hole and laugh as his private bathroom ends up flooding. Of course then he makes me clean it, but the sounds he makes as he wades through his personal fluids…well worth it.

The flag was black…which the uneducated would assume meant a pirate. Truth be told, pirate's aren't stupid enough to wave the jolly roger around all willy-nilly. To do so was practically a death sentence, and the instant a ship saw that it'd turn tail and run anyway. No, whoever was holding this flag was confident they could catch us…more than confident, they weren't even worried about someone seeing them. Definitely not a pirate. Looking closer as the fabric unfurled from the mast I swallowed nervously. It was a Jolly Roger. But something was odd about it. Instead of normal eyes, these ones were in the shape of little cartoon hearts. I didn't know what that could possibly mean, but that was unimportant. This ship was waving the Jolly Roger and they were moving at a quick pace to intercept us. Immediately the mop clattered out of my hand on to the deck as I rushed to find my uncle in the brig where he was most likely checking on the haul.

"Uncle!" I called out into the darkness as I quickly descended the steps causing the old man to stand up and turn back to me, blocking what he was tinkering with quickly.

"Lad! I'll not tell ye again! You are to call me Captain! And you should be up on deck, mopping up the chum!" He began to storm towards me as I tried to quickly explain myself.

"No, Uncle, you don't understand. There's a ship, it's coming right towards us I think…" SLAP! A loud sound echoed through my right ear as my Uncle boxed it, sending it ringing as I tried to keep balanced.

"I don't pay you to think boy!"

"But Uncle…" SLAP! Another deafening strike.

"No buts lad…I don't want to hear another peep out of you unless…"

"They're pirates!" I shouted with a hiss, tenderly nursing my ear. My Uncle froze, his hand raised as though to hit me again. Lowering it he pulled me closer with a growl.

"How do you know?" He asked.

"The…the flag…" I stuttered.

"A Jolly Roger?" He asked. I nodded. "Anything odd about it?" I looked at him confused. How had he known? I tried to search his eyes for the answer before I nodded again.

"Hearts for eyes." I explained causing his eyes to grow wide as he dropped me.

"Sweet Gods…she's found me." He hissed, turning back to the haul, only now did I see what it was. Large plastic bags filled with a bright white powder. "Damn it, damn it, damn it!" He cursed holding his head in his hands.

"Drugs…you're trafficking drugs uncle?!" I demanded causing him to wheel on me and slap me across the face.

"You'd best lose your tone boy, or else I'll gladly throw you overboard to get rid of the extra weight. Now here's what you're going to do. Get on the horn and tell the crew to prepare for battle stations. Then you're going to grab a gun and start launching broadsides at my say so. Understand me?!" I looked at him shocked, but silently nodded. "Good! Now get to it! I'll find a place to hide the stash before that she-demon gets her hands on it."

Quickly I went to follow my uncle's orders. Grabbing the microphone I raised the alarm. "All hands to battle stations! This is not a drill! All hands to battlestations, I repeat, this is NOT a drill!" Immediately the sounds of hurried footsteps echoed across the deck of the ship as I slipped down into the powder room, opening up the cannon's hatches. Already the ship was coming up alongside us, and it seemed as if they had a lot more cannons than us. We couldn't risk a broadside, the damage would be catastrophic. "C'mon uncle…" I muttered, "Turn the ship port. Give me a shot at their rudder." Instead my uncle's words came over the radio.

"Fire the broadside!" Immediately ten guns rammed hard against the hull before bouncing back as the crew ran the cannons out and fired. The sickening crunch of wood indicated a successful broad side, but the crew didn't have time to celebrate as they began to load and I saw the SIXTEEN cannons the enemy had getting ready to fire. Immediately I rushed up below deck, ignoring the surprised call of the crew members. Seeing me, my uncle began to curse me, but without a moment's hesitation I grabbed hold of one of the swivel guns and turned it to face the enemy ship's rudder. Timing it correctly I beamed, and with a successful shot it became lodged in place, making the enemy's broadside turn just as they began to fire. Managing only to rake the front portion of our hull, we were able to avoid losing half of our crew. "You idiot!" My uncle shouted at the top of his lungs. "Now we can't rake their broadside again!" With a quick jerk of the wheel, he turned alongside of them, making us vulnerable once more, but before I could argue with him, a collective battle cry signaled that the enemy vessel was now boarding.

I desperately looked around for a weapon. Finding nothing but a gaff hook and a belaying pin, I grabbed both and began fighting my way through the fray, trying to escape from the crowd as crewmates began to flood the deck in an attempt to fight off the would-be assailants. Just as a cutlass took a swipe at me, I managed to side step before striking the back of the blade with the pin, causing it to slice into another attacker. As the man moved with his sword, the gaff managed to catch into his shoulder and tear a rough piece of flesh from it. I delivered a kick to his back, before turning to see another assailant raise his shooting iron. Thinking quickly I jammed the gaff into the barrel, causing his eyes to go wide as the gun exploded, sending shrapnel into his hands and making him roar in pain as I slipped out of the fray. As both crews began to lose more and more people, something welled up inside of me, allowing me to move faster and stay on my feet until at last a large group flooded the deck, tackling me to the ground and restraining me.

And as soon as it had begun, the fight was over. My uncle, the remaining members of the crew, and myself were all bound up and clapped in irons as a man walked across the gangplank to stand before us. He was a strange man. Incredibly large and covered head to toe in intricate tattoos, even on top of his nearly completely shaved head. He spoke in a deep voice that brought to mind exotic jungles from Kalamundu as he paced in front of us. "Which of you is the captain of this vessel?" He asked, though the crew stayed silent. My eyes shifted to my uncle who sat staring at the ground. Had he no honor? He wasn't even going to admit responsibility of the ship? "I will not ask again." The man roared drawing a pistol and pointing it to one of the other cabin boy's foreheads. "Your captain! Who is he?!"

"Th-there!" He said fingering my uncle as the man they wanted. The dark-skinned man frowned and looked towards my cowardly uncle. If he was as watchful as I was, he'd be able to see him shaking where he knelt. Pulling back the hammer he fired the pistol, dropping the cabin boy with a grunt.

"I hate snitches." He explained to no one in particular, just as two of the fighters grabbed his corpse and threw it overboard. "And you…old man…were you just going to sit there and let us interrogate every single member of your crew…or what's left of them anyway? " He asked my uncle standing in front of him.

"If it's the drugs you want…please, just take them. I swear, they're yours. Just don't kill me." Shameful. My uncle was pleading for his life like a child. I never had respect for my uncle…but this was far, far worse.

"It's not your drugs we want." The dark man said. "Truthfully, I couldn't give a damn. But our Captain on the other hand…well, she wants you. And the captain gets what she wants. Now you're worth the same alive or dead. So the question is…are we doing this the hard way or the easy way?"

My uncle frowned. "The…easy way..." he whimpered at last. The dark man smirked.

"Good to hear it." He replied just before he cocked back the hammer and pulled the trigger once more, sending a hot piece of lead into my uncle's head. "Kill the rest of them. Dumb their corpses." He ordered the rest. I could hear chuckles from the crew before I called out.

"Wait!" Causing the dark-skinned man to stop and turn back to look at me.

"Excuse me?"

"Wait. Your ship…it's damaged right? I managed to knock out the rudder before you boarded."

The man walked over to me, crouching down in front of me and staring straight into my eyes. "That was you?" He asked.

I nodded causing him to laugh uproariously. "Boy, I don't know whether you're really smart or really stupid. You think that by confessing to being the one who totaled our ship and cost us a lot of wasted time that that'd save you? Heh. You've got balls."

Shaking my head I responded. "Not confessing to breaking it…but I can fix it. And I can do it cheap and quickly." The man scratched the side of his face where he had a slight beard as he began to ponder it.

"Sorry kid…but I think we'll pass." He chuckled, standing back up. But just as they were about to kill us I heard a woman's voice call out from the ship.

"I'll take it from here Cayman." She purred as her heels clicked along the gangplank. Turning my head, my eyes fell upon the most beautiful woman I'd ever laid eyes upon. As she walked her hips swayed, causing my eyes to move back and forth as though in a trance. With every footstep, trails of hearts followed after her, as though they were a flood of broken hearts in her wake. Immediately the entire crew stiffened to attention and saluted. "At ease boys." She laughed, causing them all to lower their hands, though they were still stiff in a glimpse of nervousness. "Now then Cayman, what seems to be the trouble?" She asked.

The dark-skinned man, who I assume to be Cayman cleared his throat before explaining. "Well Captain, we've captured the bounty dead as promised. He won't be bringing any trouble with him. This…kid….however, claims he is responsible for the damage to our ship." The woman frowned at me as she walked forward before crouching down in front of me, giving me a good look down her shirt. I turned my head away, trying not to blush but she reached forward and grabbed my chin, staring into my eyes.

"Hmmm…this one has a certain…spark…in his eyes." She muttered. "You say you're the one who knocked out our rudder? That was a smart plan…you must be the first mate of this ship hmm?" I immediately shook my head.

"N-no ma'am. I'm just a cabin boy."

"Cabin boy?" She cooed before she laughed playfully as though she'd just asked a child to hold up how many fingers they were in age. "Is it typical practice for your captain to allow a cabin boy to take strategic control doing a battle?" She asked.

I looked towards the corpse of my Uncle nervously before shaking my head no again. "No…my uncle never really trusted me with anything."

"Uncle huh?" She asked rhetorically before crossing her arms over her chest. "So then am I to assume that you hate me for dispatching your dear uncle?" She questioned.

I thought about what she said for a moment. As her finger brushed my cheek I winced from the bruise that had developed when my uncle had hit me earlier. It was not an uncommon occurrence to receive a beating from him. "To be honest…" I muttered, "I'm glad that old bastard is dead. He had it coming." Her hands fell from my chin as she giggled.

"You are just too adorable for words." She replied before standing to walk towards Cayman. "Tell me Cayman…who is responsible for the harm to that man?"

"Ma'am?" He asked. In a blur she had pulled out one of her widerim pistols and stuck it beneath Cayman's chin.

"I'm not a parrot Cayman, I won't repeat myself." She sighed as she pulled back the hammer that lay on her gun with a very loud click. Even from where I was kneeling, one could hear the sound of the bullet being loaded into the chamber, and it was then I knew that she would kill this man if he didn't answer her.

"N-no ma'am!" He said quickly. "I didn't lay a finger on him, I swear! Maybe he got it in the scuffle!" Grabbing his collar she jerked him forward hard so that the hot barrel was pressed against his throat causing him to struggle to breathe.

"Are you lying to me?"

"It's as he says!" I quickly chimed in. "It wasn't him. I swear." I continued as she turned to look back at me raising a well groomed eyebrow in curiosity. "I didn't get it in the scuffle either…my uncle is the one who hit me."

She looked at me for a long hard time before turning back to Cayman, her light pink lips curling into a soft smile as she slowly lowered the hammer. The thickness of the stress that hung in the air barely faded as she began to giggle, before it burst into laughter. Placing a hand on her forehead she continued laughing until she walked over to me and offered her hand. "Get up." She laughed, causing me to shakily take her hand as the others released me, allowing me to stand. "What's your name kid?" She asked causing me to cringe. I hated being called kid, and judging by the glow in her eyes it was something she immediately picked up on.

"Flynn…" I stated.

"Flynn…?" She asked. "No last name?"

Looking back at Cayman who frowned and nervous of what came next I looked her dead in the eye and replied. "Lockheart. My full name is Flynn Lockheart." She clapped her hands excitedly.

"What a lovely name…I caught a pirate by the name of Lockheart once…" she chimed before frowning and looking at the bloody corpse of my uncle. "Well…two…" She smiled at me. "So Lockheart is not a lucky name it would seem. We'll have to give you a new one."

"New one?" I asked dubiously before she gave me a large bright smile.

"Well…when you put your names together…it almost sounds like…Flintlock. You know what? That's perfect! From now one you'll be Flintlock Heart." She beamed as though she'd just come up with the most clever answer to a riddle.

But I honestly couldn't care about that right now. "So…you'll be keeping me alive then?" I asked cautiously, ready to try to jump out of the way if she was just screwing with me and planned on teasing me before I died.

"Awww, how cute…the kid's worried I'm going to kill him." She called out to the crew much to my embarrassment. The crew mates, including Cayman gave an obligatory chuckle to mock me, but she none the less turned back around and smiled. "Don't be silly boy…you're coming with us."

"And if I refuse to be a pirate?" I asked causing the entirety of her crew to erupt into laughter, including her. But soon after she stopped laughing, and immediately the others fell quiet, a few of the more embarrassed one's clearing their throats.

"We are _not_ pirates." She lectured. "We are just the opposite in fact. We are bounty hunters. And don't you go forgetting it…Flintlock." I shuddered slightly when she said my new name. It was as if a breeze had rolled through my body, chilling me to the bone.

Something still nagged at me inside though. "But why me? Why are you bringing me with you."

She just smirked before giving me a playful wink. "Why…haven't you heard?" She asked. "Fortune favors the bold. And you Flintlock, most definitely have bragging rights for being bold." Just before I could ask her what she meant she spoke again. "Also you said you can fix my rudder, and it's not as if I'm going anywhere anytime soon without that right? Nice shooting by the way." She smirked and began to walk back towards her own ship, leaving me standing their stupefied by her words. How does someone even respond to that.

"Ma'am?" Cayman called after her causing her to pause for a brief moment. As she did, I noticed her hands gripping the ropes that served as handrails on the gangplank tightly. "What do we do about the others?" He asked causing her to look over her shoulder at the three remaining crew members before she shrugged.

"Kill them." She ordered dismissively as she went on to her ship causing Cayman to grin and nod to his subordinates. Immediately there were three loud echoes in the air, followed by three sickening splats as the corpses of my previous crewmates fell over dead. I nearly jumped out of my shoes as I felt the large dark man's hand on my shoulder, squeezing with the grip of a vice.

"Welcome to the crew kid." He chuckled in his deep booming voice. Shaking I turned to look back at him, but I was surprised to see that on his face was now a kinder expression than before.

Without hesitation, I asked the question that was burning fiercely on my mind. "Who is she?" I asked, referring to the strange cherry haired woman who'd saved me. Cayman just laughed.

"You mean you don't know? Alright Flintlock, I'm going to give you the run down. You don't mind if I call you Flintlock do you? I mean, I'll always do it in public, less the Miss hears and gets angry with me, but if you prefer I'll call you Flynn in private." I shook my head indicating it was fine and that I wanted him to continued. "Alright, that lady that just pulled you out of the fire is our captain. Her name is Sarah Fortune and she is one of the most renowned bounty hunters to come out of Bilgewater. Don't ever call her Sarah though, she'll put a hole in you." As if to explain, he pulled aside his tight shirt to reveal a nasty scar on his shoulder from where a bullet had gone through it. "I'm her first mate Cayman, and most likely I'll be the one overseeing your duties. Cayman's fine…never like the formality of 'Boss' or anything like that."

"And what's the name of our ship?" I asked looking towards the beautiful Galleon that sat beside what was once my home. He chuckled softly again.

"Doesn't have one." I looked at him in shock and immediately recoiled from the deathtrap. He burst into laughter at my reaction. "Didn't take you for the superstitious type." He teased causing me to look at him.

"Look…I'm all for women being on ships…I'm not too condescending on the ladies…but a ship with no name. That's like signing a death warrant." He laughed and clapped my shoulder.

"Don't worry…I've been on the thing for the whole decade she's been in this business, not once have I seen it even come remotely close to capsizing or falling into the drink. It's perfectly safe."

"A lucky unlucky ship…with a captain who goes by the name Miss Fortune…I think I've seen it all." I replied nervously. Cayman just gave me a toothed grin and laughed.

"Trust me kid…you haven't seen nothing yet." And with that he began to follow the crew back across the gangplank, the body of my uncle slung across his shoulder. "Get your things and come across. Find me below decks and I'll show you the cabin you'll be staying in." He instructed as he gave me a friendly wave before vanishing into the hustle and bustle on the far ship. I swallowed nervously, unsure of what to do. Slipping below deck, I went to my cot and began to pack a bag, ready to leave this foul smelling fishboat behind. This life I'd lived…it was a lie, a shame. I was never meant to be the cabin boy of a booze-riddled fisherman with a bad attitude. I was meant to be free upon the open seas. My eyes glowed with excitement as I opened up the small leather case and began to pack it full of clothes. Closing it shut and sealing the clasp I rushed back to the deck.

Already the others were getting ready to sail. It didn't seem they enjoyed being in one place for too long, even if they would just be moving in circles with the rudder jammed like it was. I gripped my suitcase tightly with one hand, and my toolbox with the other. Taking a deep breath, I stepped on to the gang plank, walking across it as the faces of the crew all looked to the strange new addition the captain had taken an interest in. Walking through them, I could hear hushed murmurs, but the gossip and rumors wouldn't trouble me. I'd found what I wanted. I was finally free. Walking up to Cayman I dropped my things and placed my hand to my head which I held high. "Mr. Cayman…" I said causing him to grin at me. "Crewmate Flintlock Heart…reporting for duty!"

He chuckled and replied with his own salute. "Good. Your first assignment…put up your things and get to work on that rudder. The Captain will be wanting to speak with you once your done, so try not to dawdle." I nodded and went to go below decks. "Oh and Flintlock." He called causing me to turn back to look at him. "Welcome aboard." He grinned. I felt myself smiling as well. Finally I'd found a place where I could be who I wanted to be.

To be continued…


	2. Chapter 2

Three Sheets to the Wind Ch. 2

Author's note: Alright everyone, second chapter of my pirate story. I have to say I'm rather enjoying do all the research about the ship and the way it works. You'll see what I mean in a moment when you start reading, but I've genuinely enjoyed looking this stuff up. As cheesy as it may sound, I'm actually a descendant of a pirate: Black Bart Roberts. Now I'm not saying that's something to be proud of, but I think it's just a cool little bit of familial history. As of right now, I'm in the final editing process of my novel, it should be done within a few days. When that happens I'll be publishing it on Amazon as an e-book, and seeing how that goes I may publish it in print with them too (assuming another publisher doesn't come along).

Again, thank you all for your wonderful support. I'm always anxious to hear your reactions to my stories and so if you're one of my readers that refreshes the page at least once an hour hoping for one of my stories to be up, I just want to let you know, I do the exact same thing waiting for reviews. Even so much as telling me you like it means a lot to me. If you wish to make a donation to my "writing fund" which is a fancy term for money that I can use to buy food/living necessities/rent, you can do that on my Tumblr: kibavulpuselunal. tumblr. com. I've also got a blog on there that's updated about once a week. It's chock full of cool stuff about writing, and some tips and what not. Thanks again guys, enjoy! :3 -Kiba Elunal

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After stowing my things, I immediately began to inspect the damage to the rudder I caused. Despite how simple the mechanism is, the truth of the matter is that there are many components to a ship's steering mechanism. The Ship's wheel is connected to a system of pulleys, usually made of extra strong tiller ropes or chain. The chain is wrapped over a wide spindle, much like a spool of thread, multiple times and that spindle is connected to the wheel's axle. When you pull on the wheel in either direction, it causes the chain to move through a system of sheaves (which are free spinning wheels that the chain is pressed against) that make up the pulleys. This goes to the tiller, which is a horizontal bar on the back of the ship that moves left and right, depending the direction the wheel is turned. This in turn moves the rudder, thus causing the ship to turn.

As I descended down into the tiller room, I was greeted by a foul stench that caused me to gag the air was so foul. Off to the side sat a rather plump man who seemed to be the source of the stench, seeing as how he was soaked in rum…and possibly his own urine. Pulling my bandana, which I wore around my neck, over my nose, I tip-toed past the drunken sailor careful to avoid any puddles that lay scattered about. Moving closer to the joint where the tiller meets the rudder I swore under my breath. Of course the damn thing would break in the most inconvenient way for me.

A thought occurred to me as I looked over the splintered wood and mangled iron of the tiller chain. My shot hadn't struck through the tiller room, it'd hit the rudder itself. Until recently I thought I'd perhaps lodged itself into the rudder and jammed it, but this wasn't the case. It was no surprise to me when I looked at the tiller to see that it'd been worn down to nearly nothing before my blast caused the rudder to jerk it hard enough to break. I say it wasn't a surprise because that would mean the drunken slob behind me wasn't doing his job of monitoring the upkeep of the tiller. "Son of a bitch…" I muttered, looking around the room. This was going to be a long repair job and I'd better get started if I valued not having a bullet in me.

When repairing a tiller, it's similar to repairing a broken arm or a leg. The important thing to do is to put it in a splint. This rudder was solely wooden, which meant that its stability would be crap without a bit of metal to keep it steady, and so I knew that I'd need two strips of metal to place along the sides.

Just as I began to contemplate where I'd find the metal, I could hear the sound of the chain scraping against the deck, and looking I saw that one side of it was already getting pulled away. That was bad, if the chain managed to slip out of the pulley it would be damn near impossibly to put it back. Without thinking, I dove for the chain that was already slithering into the hole that led to the pulley mechanism and as it began to drag me through the dirt and grime I reached for the drunken man's pistol which lay beside him, dropped in his drunken stupor. I managed to snag it on the way and the narrow barrel into one of the chain's links. When the pistol reached the hole there was a sudden jerk as it stopped the chain's progress, and I held my breath praying that the damn thing didn't break. Immediately the thing went slack, and I knew exactly what was happening. The steering wheel on deck had stopped turning when the chain got caught, and now they were trying to turn it the other direction to make sure it wasn't stuck.

Immediately I ran to my tool belt where I'd left it beside the tiller, and pulling out my iron hammer I immediately jammed it into the chain as well, causing it to also cease its movement. My quick thinking was rewarded by a resounding cry from above deck. And by the sound of it, the captain was not pleased. "FLINTLOCK!" She boomed as she kicked in the door to the tiller room, pistols in hand and hammers cocked. "I brought you on board to fix the damned…Oh Gods, what is that smell?!"

With a shaky hand I pointed towards the sailor who, as if to prove my point, belched loudly before urinating on himself again. Miss Fortune looked back and forth from me to the sailor, as if trying to judge which problem she should handle first. Behind her on the steps, Cayman appeared in the doorway, blocking out most of the light from outside. "Captain is there a prob…SWEET Gods! What is that horrid stench?!" Judging by both of their reactions, I think I found out why the guy was such a drunken mess. No one came to check to see if he was working, so he'd just sit and drink and all day.

"Yes! There is a problem Cayman!" She immediately snapped in reply before leveling one of her pistol's at the drunken man. "Clearly we've got some spoiled cargo. Now if you'd be so kind as to dump him overboard, I'll handle our new, possibly soon-to-be dead, boatswain." Boatswain? As she raised her other pistol, to gesture towards me, my eyes went wide. She wanted me to be the boatswain? I'd only been here a day, hadn't fixed anything yet, and already she was putting me in charge of repairs on the ship? I had no doubt that once I explained why the wheel was locked she'd spare me, but I could only imagine what would happen if I messed up repairing anything else.

Cayman's eyes shifted over to the drunkard, whom I now assumed was most likely the old boatswain, as if contemplating whether risking the captain's wrath was worth not having to touch him. In the end he walked over and with one arm, lifted the fat man and slung him over his shoulder. "Yes Ma'am." He replied, saluting her and ascending the stairs. It wasn't until shortly after that we heard the loud splash caused by dropping the man off the ship, most likely to drown in the watery abyss. Nodding her head in content, her eyes fell on me, my shirt covered in grime and my breathing ragged from having to move so quickly.

Walking towards me, I immediately scrambled to rise to my feet out of respect. "Alright Flintlock…care to explain to me why my boat wheel seems to not be doing what boat wheels do?" Her voice was cold, as if to indicate that my life was over if she didn't enjoy what she heard. I immediately began to spill forth all of the things I'd found out. Now within arm's reach of me, she clamped a hand over my mouth to silence me. "Woah, woah, woah. Slowly."

Nodding as she pulled her hand away I took a deep breath and began to explain what had occurred. "You see ma'am, due to the previous boatswain's…er…problem, the tiller hasn't been well cared for. When I shot the rudder I assumed it had jammed it, which would be an easy fix, but instead it jerked the tiller hard enough to break it."

"Are you telling me that you broke my ship and can't fix it?" She asked suspiciously, and I could see the rage that was bubbling up in her eyes. "Because I would so hate to discover that I was dead in the water, attached to a damned fishing dinghy while the Captain's corpse is rotting in my hold!"

"I can fix it!" I yelped quickly. "It'll take me a while and I'll need to find some materials, but I promise I can fix it." Uncocking Shock and Awe, she placed the two of them back on her hips, letting out a frustrated breath.

"And the wheel?" She muttered grumpily.

"It's stuck because I had to pin down the chains." Her eyes turned back to me, and now I could see something new in her eyes. Something I hadn't noticed before. She tried hard to keep it hidden, but I could see her chest rising and falling as her breathing became more ragged. "Are you…ill ma'am?" I asked, causing her to flinch as if I'd just discovered her worst secret.

"Keep your mind on the job Flintlock. It's better for you to keep your nose out of the business of others. You've got until sunrise tomorrow to fix the damned thing. If it's not done by then, I'll kill you and dump you. Do I make myself clear?" Without even waiting for my answer, she returned to the stairs, the mystical broken hearts that trailed after her left behind in her wake. The door shut fiercely behind her.

The immediate threat gone, I let out a sigh of relief, my legs collapsing beneath me as I slid down the wall to the floor. One thing was for sure, for someone who wasn't a pirate she could have fooled me with her ruthlessness. As the adrenaline began to fade, I looked around the now barren tiller room, and sighed. I couldn't do anything without materials, I'd even told her such. I contemplated going above decks to ask her but…she already was in a foul mood. The last thing I'd want is for her to lash out at me.

As I pondered what to do, I heard the door creak open slowly as Cayman slipped inside. "You still breathing in here Flynn?" He asked as he descended the stairs. I swallowed another gulp of air before calling out in reply. "Something the matter?" He asked in his deep voice, walking to take a moment to sit beside me.

"Yeah…"

He chuckled softly. "Captain gave you quite the scare huh? She doesn't like the thought of anything happening to her ship. After all, she paid quite a pretty penny for it. Not a ship in the sea that's faster or more reliable."

"A ship is only as reliable as its crew." I replied, quoting my late father. Cayman just chuckled again. "The problem I have…if you don't mind hearing it is that in order to make the repairs I need materials. And it doesn't seem there are any in here."

Cayman thought about it for a moment, scratching his chin. "Well, I don't think the ship has any stocks of equipment. We were supposed to make a stop once we captured your uncle and cashed in his bounty. But then some fool kid decided he was going to be a hot-shot and took out our rudder. Know what I mean?"

My heart sank like a stone. "So…there are no materials?" I asked.

"'Fraid not, though if you like you're more than welcome to take a look around this ship, with one exception. You must never, under any circumstance, EVER enter the Captain's quarters or her map room. Understand?" I nodded. I don't think I'd want to spend time in the Captain's quarters anyway. "Good. Then I'll leave you to it. I'll check up on you at sundown. Sound good?"

Again I nodded, following him back up the stairs and into the warm sunshine that was beaming down upon me. Some of the other members of the crew gave me dirty looks as I walked past them, careful not to get in the way as I did. Looking around, I watched them all sitting on crates and barrels, some with dice, others playing whist. That's when an idea struck me. "Quartermaster, may I ask you something?"

"What is it Flintlock?"

"Where do you store your empty water barrels?" He looked at me suspiciously for a moment before shrugging as if to say, it doesn't matter much if we're stuck here anyway.

"We keep them down in the brig. Why do you ask?"

I smiled. "I think I found my materials." Heading into the brig, I began inspecting the barrels until I found one that was in good enough condition. I began to push it up the stairs, end over end to avoid it rolling back down into the brig until at last I made back on deck. The crew all seemed to have their eyes on me as I rolled the barrel back towards the tiller room, exchanging odd glances with one another at the strange new crewmate.

Finally having gotten the barrel back into the tiller room I pulled my crowbar from the toolkit. Twirling it skillfully, I jabbed the wide prong into the first safety band of the barrel. Using all my might, I managed to crack the hull of the barrel before cursing. The barrel was too weak to dismantle it cleanly. Shrugging I got to work doing the only thing I could: smashing it to Hell and back. With every swing of my crowbar I could feel my stress fading and my excitement mounting. Despite being in danger, I loved every moment of it.

I was a pirate now. Well, not really. Technically a bounty hunter, but still I could hear the call of adventure echoing in my mind and I knew that on this ship is where I'd find my destiny. With one last mighty swing, I managed to knock free the last bit of wood from the barrel, leaving only the brass safety bands that had encircled it. Whistling to myself, I returned to the deck with the hoops, garnering even stranger looks from the crew as Cayman watched with amusement. Following me, I made my way towards the mess hall, before slipping into the currently empty kitchen.

A few crew members had followed Cayman to watch also as I lit the stove, allowing the fire to flare up nice and hot. "Oy wots he doin'?" One of them asked but Cayman just raised a hand to shush them as he continued to watch. Slipping on thick leather gloves I held a hoop in one hand, my hammer in the other. As it began to heat up I placed it down on the side of the hard brick oven and began hammering it. With every strike there came a clang and a small shower of emerald green sparks as the softened metal began to unroll at the behest of my blows. Lifting the metal, I eyed it carefully, looking to ensure it was straightened out. Satisfied, I repeated the process once more with the other hoop I'd brought with me. Both flattened out now, I dipped them into the wash barrel causing a sizzling hiss as the orange glow that had been emitted from them faded away. Now cooled, I smiled taking the new fittings with me to the tiller room.

Cayman impressed walked to the Captain's quarters and knocked softly at the door. "Wh-what is it?" He heard her gasp from the other side of the door.

"Ma'am…I think you need to see this." He called. A few moments later she came out a strand of her hair tussled. He guided her as well as a few members of the crew to the tiller room, where I was currently focused on my work. Having driven the nails from the barrel into the sides of the tiller handle ensuring the new metal splints would hold it steady, I marched to the chain with the man's pistol in it and grabbing hold of the chain I began to drag it towards the tiller until it stopped short. Turning back I began to tug on it, with a creak the wheel began to spin slowly as I continued to pull it. Finally reaching it, I snagged the chain on to the tiller, reclamping it in place.

"What am I supposed to be looking at exactly First Mate?" Miss Fortune asked, her eyes narrowing at him. "I fail to see anything particularly spectacular about this."

Cayman chuckled. "This kid…I don't know where he came from, but he's clever. He made this rig out of nothing more than an empty water barrel. Even better, he's done it in about three hours. Any other person would simply tell us to get to rowing. But this kid…he's something special. You've got good judgment ma'am."

Crossing her arms, the bounty hunter leaned up against the doorway, watching as I clamped the other end of the chain to the jury-rigged tiller. Now that I'd reconnected everything, I pulled my hammer from the other chain. Pushing back and forth I watched as the rudder moved to and fro. My plan had worked. Eager to report in, I turned back to see Cayman smiling down at me with his hands on his hips. Noticing that the Captain stood beside him I immediately straightened, offering her a salute as I tried hard not to let her notice my heavy breathing from the workout I'd just been put through.

Her light pink lips curved slyly into a grin as she turned back from the door. "Set sail!" She called out to the crew. "Full speed ahead back to Bilgewater. It's time we got paid for our troubles boys. A round of drinks is on Flintlock tonight!" As she walked past the cheering crew towards her quarters, I couldn't help but notice the smug sway in her hips before I climbed the stairs to speak to Cayman.

"Umm…Quartermaster…sir?"

"Yes Flynn?"

"What did she mean that a round of drinks are on me?" The dark man just laughed as he clapped me on the back, a gesture that stung more than I sure he intended.

"Just what she said. You're paying for the rum tonight."

"But I don't have any money."

Cayman started laughing even harder as he turned me away from the door way, taking a couple more steps so he couldn't be overheard from the door. "Listen kid," he chuckled, "you're a part of the crew now, understand? That means when we pull into port, you get a share of the bounty."

"I do? And why did you make sure the crew couldn't hear us." He looked back at them and took a sigh before leaning closer.

"Listen kid. Some of these men have been on this ship for years, and they're still just cabin boys. You've been here less than a day, and the Captain has already promoted you to boatswain. Do you know what that means?" I shook my head. "It means that unlike the rest of the Joes on deck, you are the third highest paid sailor on this ship after me and the Captain. You make a share and a half wages. I make two shares, and the Captain gets three. Don't worry kid, you'll be well taken care of." He clapped my back again, gesturing for me to lead the way upstairs.

For all his kindness, it seemed so odd now that Cayman had intimidated me on my uncle's boat. I suppose he'd have to hide his warm heart if he were to succeed at being a bounty hunter. I still couldn't figure out our Captain, she always was acting so strangely. Already she'd returned to her quarters. "Unfurl the main sails!" A crew mate called out loudly, and I found myself in awe as I watched the billowy white canvas catch the wind. The ship lurched forward as sailors dashed this way and that, tying and untying the rigging in order to prep the ship. "Unfurl the jib!" Again, another sail unrolled before bowing outward from the winds. "Unfurl the spinnaker!" The final sail now unrolled, and now we were racing along the water towards the city of Bilgewater.

I suddenly found myself overwhelmed by it all. Cayman seemed to notice as he gently pat my shoulder. "Alright kid, first job, clean out the tiller room if you'd be so kind. Then I'll need you to get to work down below. One of our bilgepumps was taken out by cannon fire, so as boatswain, you'll need to repair it. Simple enough?" He asked.

"Yes sir." I confirmed before moving quickly to get started on the tasks he'd assigned me. As I got to mopping the grime and filth that was caked on the floor from the previous boatswain, I decided that one day, once I had the money, I'd get a ship of my own. And when I did…I'd give the Captain a run for her money.

When at last we reached the port, I'd already finished cleaning the tiller room and was half way done with my repairs. Cayman opened the door and beckoned for me to follow him silently. I don't know why, but his silence bothered me. It seemed as if something tense was in the air, and I think he could feel it too. "Yes sir." I called to him, standing quickly and falling into step behind him as he went to the upper decks.

Already the Captain was preparing to go, loading her pistols and tucking them into her waist band. The rest of the crew also looked incredibly nervous, each of them with one hand on their pistols, the other one ready to grab anything that was handy. Leaning closer to the quartermaster I whispered to him. "Sir…why is everyone looking like they're ready for a fight?" Cayman said nothing, instead lifting his large arm to point to another ship that was docked a few ways down from ours. Labeled across the back in big letters was the ship's name: "DEAD POOL".

"Watch your step kid." Miss Fortune instructed over her shoulder. "Things may get dangerous in the city. You and Cayman are to come with me to collect the bounty. I've seen how quickly you move and you're a good shot. Which is exactly what I need." I swallowed nervously.

"Yes ma'am." I replied, keeping my mouth shut. So many questions were on my mind, namely, who was the owner of that ship that everyone seemed so afraid of? The sun already beginning to set, Cayman slung my uncle's body over his shoulder easily, and led the way for the three of us.

As he opened the door of the bounty claims office, a small bell rang to alert the clerk that someone was present. "Ah Miss Sarah, welcome back." The old man called cheerily. The Captain said nothing, merely nodding her head to indicate that Cayman lay the body on the man's desk.

Doing so, the clerk's hands began to shake as he stepped from the body. "We're here to claim the Lockheart bounty. As you can see, here's his body. We'll be taking our money in cash, not check." The clerk swallowed nervously nodding and slowly backed away from the counter even further.

"Well…I'm afraid…there's been a misunderstanding Miss Sarah. This bounty has umm…already been claimed." She slammed her fist down hard on the counter.

"It what?!"

"I'm sorry Miss Sarah! Truly I am, Gangplank came in and he had-" his words were cut off with a squeak as Miss Fortune reached across grabbing him by his shirt and shoving the barrel of her pistol in his face.

"DO I LOOK LIKE I GIVE A DAMN WHAT GANGPLANK HAD?!" She roared in his face causing him to quiver even more. "Now where's…my…money?" The man just began shaking his head.

"Please, oh please, Miss Sarah, I don't want to die. I didn't have a choice, he proved he brought in the bounty, and there was nothing I could do!"

"LIES!" She roared.

Stepping forward, Cayman cleared his throat to draw our attention before speaking. "What exactly did Gangplank bring in that earned him the reward? We have the body, so that couldn't be it." The claims officer pointed with a shaky finger towards the lump of charred flesh that was marked 'To Be Discarded'.

"He…he even presented a birth certificate, saying that when he caught him the boat burned him to a crisp. I'm really sorry Miss Sarah, I really had no idea."

"We have the real body," She hissed, "which means we should get the reward as well. You were stupid enough to pay out to Gangplank for nothing more than a goat carcass. I did the job, you give me the money. That's how our relationship works."

"Are ye be callin' me a liar lil' missy?" A gruff voice asked from behind me, causing me to turn and step back from the pirate, all dressed in red. "When I be havin' undeniable proof that this crook was taken by yers truly too?"

"I don't know how you got yer (damn it) your hands on that document Gangplank, but that bounty is rightfully mine."

"Prove it." He shot back. "Ye got a man that may be lookin' like him, but ye got no proof of his identity. Face it lass, ye be the only liar here."

"She does have proof." I interjected before covering my mouth. What was I thinking? This guy was going to kill me. The two of them stopped glaring into one another's eyes to turn back and look at me.

"Ye be havin' children fight fer ye now Sarah? Despicable!"

"Oh yes, I should take a page from your book and just strangle them in their cribs."

He laughed and walked over to me, looking down on me as though he was a king and I was but a roach. "So ye claim she be havin' proof eh? Then ye won't mind sharin' wit the rest of the class, eh matey?"I looked him dead in the eyes. I don't know what I was thinking, but after the day I had I was sick of getting pushed around by bullies. It's only been a day, but as I thought about all of the trouble Cayman and Miss Fortune had gone through, not only to kill my uncle, but to bring me aboard and let me live…I felt as if I just couldn't back down.

"He's my uncle. And I'm his nephew." For a moment a flash of worry came over Gangplank's face but it quickly faded as he just chuckled and crossed his arms over his chest.

"We be needin' a bit more than just yer word small fry. How can ye prove that ye is actually a blood relative of this man?"

I swallowed. I couldn't let him get the best of me. Not in front of the Captain. Reaching up I unbuttoned my shirt revealing a tattoo on my chest of a small heart with two chains forming an X over it. "Whenever a member of the Lockheart family comes of age, we get this tattooed on our chest, as well as the name of our immediate family. My father was dead, so instead they put my uncle's name: Alexander Lockheart."

"That be clever lad, I give ye that. But ye still not given' proof that he be yer dear uncle." I walked over to the dead body of my uncle.

"My uncle also has the tattoo. It has my father's name on it because my uncle didn't have anyone else." Miss Fortune immediately ripped open my uncle's shirt but his chest was bare.

"Yarharhar! That be a nice tale lad but clearly yer just blowin' smoke. Ye captain be pretty good at that. The blowin' part that is." I glared at him, clenching my fist tightly. No wonder everyone was so tense on the ship. Just listening to his voice was making me want to punch him in the face.

"My Captain…"I corrected through gritted teeth, "is twice the person you will ever be. Of the three people I respect in this world, she's one of them. She saved me, and I will not let you call her a liar or try to shame her. You're no better than a damned common criminal." In a flash, his pistol was pressed to my forehead, his blade at my throat.

"Ye better watch yer mouth kid." He growled, before another click signaled that Miss Fortune had her gun to his head and was ready to draw a bead on him.

"That's my line." She said flatly. "Now lower your weapons Gangplank. You're outnumbered, three to one. The last thing you want is to find yourself with a piece of hot lead in your skull, isn't that right?"

The pirate grit his teeth angrily, upset that he'd been had. Uncocking the pistol he pulled it away from me and sheathed his cutlass. As he did the Captain also lowered hers before nodding to me to continue. "When my uncle got his, he was drunk. It's not on his chest. It's on his ass." I went to his pants and pulled them down just enough to show the top of the heart where it read Bartholomew "Black Heart" Lockheart. "There's your proof. Also…my uncle didn't have a birth certificate. He was a bastard of my grandfather, and in general."

"I think it be time fer me to be leavin'… but do not think ye have seen the last of me. Ye may think ye safe hidin' behind yer Captain. But one day, she won't be around, and when that day be here, yer gonna have a taste of the grog on me blade." And like that he was gone.

As he did all the macho bravado I had left with him, and immediately I let out the breath I'd been holding. Miss Fortune walked over to me and smiled. "Look kid, not that I don't appreciate the things you said, but what you did was stupid and dangerous. Gangplank is not a normal pirate, do you understand? He is a dirty cold-hearted murderer, and he'll have no objections to slitting your throat." My eyes shifted down.

"Yes ma'am." I whispered as I continued to stare at the ground. Smiling she let out a soft giggle before placing a gentle kiss on my cheek in thanks.

"Now then," she said, clapping her hands together as she turned back to the clerk. "We'll be taking our money now." The clerk nodded, shakily filling a bag with the gold coins and holding it out to her to take. Taking the money she slung the sack over her shoulder. "Alright boys. Let's go divide up the loot shall we?"

To be continued…


	3. Chapter 3

Three Sheets to the Wind Ch. 3

Author's Note: Hey everyone, absolutely loving writing this pirate story. While I'm normally much more of a ninja person, I can't deny that there is a certain romanticism involved in piracy, at least when we're talking about the golden age of piracy, not this inflatable ski boat crap we have today. I hope you enjoy this chapter, as you've enjoyed my others, and as always please leave a review giving me your thoughts.

Thank you all so much for your support. I'm still taking donations through my tumblr on paypal. It's not something that's required by any means, I'm going to write regardless, but it would help out a lot if you guys could give even just a little bit. The money goes straight to groceries and rent so that I can continue working on my writing for you guys. My tumblr is kibavulpuselunal. Tumblr. Com. The paypal button should be at the top. You can also check out my weekly blog there, every Tuesday I post some writing tips. As always, I love feedback so please favorite, follow, and review. Thanks a bunch :3.

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That night, the crew and I laughed as Cayman regaled the story of our bounty claim to the others. I said nothing of course, his story was highly exaggerated but I realized that that was half the fun of it. After receiving my share of nearly 1500 Valors, I couldn't wait to reach the tavern and buy the crew the first round of drinks. For the first time in my life, not only did I have a crew that I was a part of I also had friends to share my adventures with.

"Oooh, you should have seen the new squall. When Gangplank began spewing his filth he just grabbed him by the beard and slapped him silly. I swear upon my mother's grave." Cayman laughed causing the rest of the crew to give me reaffirming slaps on the back and congratulations. However, there was one person in the entire crew who wasn't laughing or smiling: the captain. She had that expression on her face, the one that showed whatever was afflicting her had struck her hard at that moment and I found myself wondering just what it was that made her so ill.

Disentangling myself from the crew I approached her. "Captain?" I asked softly, causing her to turn to look at me, that odd gleam in her eye that I'd seen before. She didn't respond, only nodded to show she was listening as her chest rose and fall with the heavy breaths she was taking. "Are you feeling alright? You don't look so well."

"What did I tell you about minding your own business Flintlock?" She replied. The tone she used was strange, it was something I'd never heard anyone ever use before. Like she was caught between a growl and a purr as though she couldn't make up her mind how she felt about the question.

"Sorry ma'am. I'm not trying to pry, I'm just concerned is all." Her eyes fixed on me as surely as if they were her pistols, ready to blast holes through me.

"And what concern is it of yours if I'm ill?" She asked.

I frowned at her response. Could she really not understand that I was worried about my captain? Suddenly, I felt like a small naïve child and fell silent, unable to answer her question. With a sigh she continued further ahead as Cayman approached, having finished his story. "Hey Flintlock. Something happen?"

"I just asked the Captain if she was feeling well. Every now and then, when I look at her it seems like she's feeling ill and I was just concerned is all." Cayman laughed and placed his hand firmly on my shoulder.

"Lad, you are indeed a strange one. You got to understand that in this life no one can be trusted. Especially not some new recruit that just walked on to the ship and who was also related to our last bounty. Us pirates and bounty hunters, we're always looking out for number one: ourselves. You've got a good heart to be concerned Flintlock, but you've also got to understand that the Captain has to be cautious around you. Don't take it personally; she'll warm up to you eventually. If you really want to get there quicker, the solution is simple: buy the lady a drink." With that he removed his hand from my shoulder chuckling to himself at the thought of showing concern towards the captain.

The feeling of foolishness that I previously had had now doubled. I felt so stupid for not realizing before that I couldn't just expect the captain to see me as a friend right off the bat. To her, I was just as much a danger aboard her ship as one of her bounties. I hated my uncle, that was for sure, but for all she knew I'd made the whole thing up, swearing to one day get my revenge. So then and there I made a covenant with myself. I swore that I'd do whatever it took to show the Captain that I could not only be trusted as a crew member, but as a friend.

Soon, we stood on Fleet Street, standing in front of a bar with a brightly colored sign that read "Fortune's Favor" where the 'o's were shaped like small hearts. The crew didn't even hesitate to go in; sounds of laughing and celebration spilling out of the wooden building every time the door swung open. Following everyone else inside, I was surprised by the amount of people in the bar. Some were gambling, others were telling stories, and others were even arm wrestling with one another. But the instant the captain walked in everyone fell into a hushed silence, watching carefully as her boots clicked across the wood to the Bartender who smiled when he saw her. "Good evening…boss."

"Good evening Chum, drinks are on the new kid tonight." Miss Fortune said flatly, reaching back to grab me by the shirt and pull me forward. "A round of Rapture for the entire crew." I immediately pulled out my coin pouch as the man smirked when he looked at me.

"That'll be 1500 Valors kid." My eyes widened.

"1500?!" I asked in shock, "is this stuff laced with diamonds or something?"

The bartender laughed uncontrollably as he began pouring the rum, taking my entire coin pouch. "You could say that." He laughed as the beautiful clear liquid poured into the flagons made of steel and pewter. "Of course, given the maker it's only understandable that such an exotic beauty would cost a lot of money."

"And who would make something that cost that much money?" I asked.

"That'd be me." Miss Fortune whispered into my ear causing me to nearly jump out of my shoes in surprise. "Now then, were you saying something about the price of my handcrafted rum? Surely you wouldn't accuse your captain of trying to rob you of your legitimate hard earned money?" I quickly shook my head, causing her to smile and pat my head. "Good boy." As the bartender finished pouring the ale, my hand reached out for one just as Miss Fortune smacked it away. "Nice try kid, but you're going to be drinking something a little more special." She smiled at the Bartender who touched his nose in some sort of secret signal to indicate he understood. She turned me away from the bar, and began to explain. "See, another initiation other than simply buying our drinks is that you have to drink a very special one. In Bilgewater, we call it Drinking the Water. Our fine bartender is concocting a very secret mix of liquors and ales into a chalice there, and it will be passed around to each pirate at the tables who will pour in a bit of…well whatever it is they may have on them at the time, and when it returns you will have to drink it. All of it." I watched as the pitch black liquid in the chalice was passed around the tables small vials of unknown chemicals being poured in with each pirate that touched its polished silver cup.

"Ummm…Captain?" I asked nervously. "What if one of these pirates decides to err…poison me? I'm all for doing this because you're asking me to captain, but I'd rather live if I can help it."

"Banish the thought Flintlock, despite common views there actually is a code among pirates. Not even Gangplank would consider poisoning the Grog cup as it went around. This is a tradition. And pirates always respect tradition. They may cheat and swear and cuss, but poisoning you during your initiation? Not a chance." I nodded, unsure of how true her words may be. As the cup finally reached me I thought I could see something swimming around in the jet black ink-like liquid. Miss Fortune smiled, pulling a vial from around her neck and pouring a drop of it into the brew causing it to hiss and bubble.

I swallowed nervously, holding the chalice in both of my hands and going to lift it to my lips just before the door burst open. "Wait!" I froze, looking over the rim of the chalice to see Gangplank, a sinister smirk on his face. "I got me own thing to add to the grog." Looking at my Captain I could see she was unhappy about the interruption, but nodded for me to give it to him.

Holding out the cup, I watched him pull a flask from his hip and opening it poured in a thick black paste to mix with the foul concoction. Tightening the cap to the flask he smirked, returning it to his hip as he watched anxiously. "Do I get to request something to be added in to it?" I asked Miss Fortune who paused for a moment considering it.

"Come to think of it…I don't think anyone has asked to do so before. I don't see why you can't, nothing you put in there will possibly make it any better or worse. But, to be sure…what do you gentlemen say about allowing the boy add something else to the grog?!" A resounding 'Aye' was the response that rose out from the crowd. Turning back to me she smiled. "Very well, take your pick. We have everything here."

Sitting at the bar, I looked the bartender dead in the eye and made my request. "Milk. Whole if you have it." The entire bar erupted into laughter, including the bartender as Gangplank sat beside me with a chortle of his own.

"Aww the baby wants his milk does he?" He laughed as Miss Fortune watched me curiously. My lips curled into a smile as the bartender poured a good dose of milk to the brew. "Trust me kid, ye won't be able to finish this grog. Me Black Pearl Rum is strong enough to grow so much hair on yer chest that ye be havin' a new fur coat."

I turned to look at him, my eyes meeting his as I lifted the chalice to my lips. The thing smelled absolutely horrendous, but there was something I knew that Gangplank didn't. My uncle used to drink his brand of rum, the stuff was so spicy and strong that just smelling it could clear out your sinuses and singe your throat which is what the milk was for. Whole milk counters spices to the point where the burning inferno really just falls down to a tingly warmth. It also coats the throat to protect it from anything that may serve to erode away the flesh. I began to down the disgustingly bitter liquid, drinking it as fast as I possibly could so I wouldn't have to worry about the taste, the entire time my eyes never leaving his. The entire bar watched with curiosity before I finally set the chalice back down on the bar, now completely empty. "Don't you get tired of being wrong?" I asked the salty seadog as the entire bar began to cheer when Miss Fortune turned the cup upside down to show that every last drop was gone.

"You know the rules Gangplank: better pay up." She instructed with a grin, holding out the chalice to him. I watched puzzled as he grumbled and reached into his wallet and poured out the gold he had in his purse into the large cup. As he finished emptying the wallet, Miss Fortune put in her own share of the gold as she passed it around to everyone, and when it finally reached me, the entire thing was filled to the brim with golden Valors. "Congratulations kid. Here's your prize." I looked at the money in awe, I'd never seen so much in my life before. There must have been at least 20,000 Valors inside of its brim.

Looking to the Captain, I felt myself swell with pride before I remembered Cayman's advice. Reaching into the chalice I pulled out two thousand of the gleaming Valors before putting them on the counter. "Another round." I requested causing all of the men in the bar to cheer. Turning to look at Gangplank, I smiled. "And one for him as well." Suddenly the entire bar fell silent, as Miss Fortune quickly tugged me away from Gangplank pulling me to the side.

"Flintlock, I realize you're new to this whole pirate business, but what the hell do you think you're doing?" She hissed. I looked at her puzzled.

"Did I do something wrong?" She looked over at Gangplank whose eyes were filled with fury and hatred. "I just wanted to buy him a drink to show there wasn't any hard feeling from earlier." She placed her head in her palm as if I'd just said the stupidest thing in history.

"You NEVER buy another man a drink who is not part of your crew. Ever. Ordering him a drink is one of the biggest insults you can possibly give to him. In the pirate world, buying a man a drink is like…like…" she struggled to find a comparison that I'd understand, "offering to give his wife a massage. You're insulting his manhood by buying him a drink." I heard the stool move as Gangplank stood, walking towards me his pistol clicking just as Miss Fortune pulled me behind her to stand between us. "Gangplank, listen. He's still a whelp, he didn't realize what he was doing was an insult. Just let it go." She instructed in a commanding voice as Gangplank pondered it.

"Listen well Sarah, ye best be getting' yer crew in line. If that whelp does one more thing to insult me ye can rest assured he'll be sleepin' wit da fishes. Ye get me?"

"Yes. And he's sorry. Aren't you Flintlock?" She asked, stepping aside.

"Ummm, yes. Sorry. I was just trying to be nice." I explained causing Gangplank to get a perplexed look on his face as he stepped forward, his eyes glaring into mine. After a moment he stepped away giving a light chuckle before erupting into laughter.

"Ye hear that boys? He be trying to make nice!" Soon the entire bar was laughing at me along with him and I felt my cheeks burning in embarrassment. That combined with the grog I'd ingested caused me to hurriedly leave the bar, chased out by the sounds of laughter as Miss Fortune and Cayman exchanged nervous glances.

Finding a nearby dock, I fell to my knees, the grog disagreeing with my system as I collapsed the foul liquid being ejected from me into the sea. I couldn't believe how stupid I was, when was I going to learn that there wasn't any room for kindness in this life? My self-chastising was paused as I once again vomited even more of the black liquid, just as I heard the sound of footsteps coming along the pier. Getting to my feet, the sickness mostly gone I struggle to see who it was though the shapes were unfamiliar to me. Choosing to ignore them, I decided I'd walk back to the ship, but before I could one of the shadows grabbed me, the other one holding a knife to my cheek. "Now, now little fish. What have we got here? A young man all by his lonesome. It'd be a shame if someone came by to mug you wouldn't it?" The first one said, his grin gleaming in the moonlight.

"He ain't got no money on him anyway." The second one said as he rifled through my pockets. "Most likely spent it on all that booze, he did."

The first shadow inspected me carefully before looking at the golden compass that I wore around my neck that had been given to me by my father. "Well lookee here, Skrill. This may be worth a pretty penny." Just as he reached for the compass I growled, lashing out with my fist and striking him with a hard right hook that send him stumbling. I heard the click of the switchblade as the shadow behind me pulled out a knife, but before he could do anything with it I elbowed him hard in the gut making him bend over in pain. "Get him!" The first shadow cried out as I ran as fast as I could back towards the tavern. I had to get to the crew, there I'd be safe. I felt a stinging pain in my leg as I felt one of the knives pierce my calf, causing me to stumble and fall into the dirt. Reaching back I could see them approaching so I immediately pulled the knife out before tossing it aside. I got back to my feet quickly. I could see the tavern just as Cayman and Miss Fortune were coming outside. They were already running towards me as I tripped and fell for the second time, the sickness that I had though gone starting to come back.

Cayman leaned down, picking me up and slinging me over his shoulder as Miss Fortune pulled out both her pistols. The men recognized the bounty huntress just a second too late as she opened fire, the large musket balls tearing through them with ease. Their bodies hit the deck with a sickening thud as I felt Cayman carrying me back towards the tavern. Instead of gratitude for their rescue, or even joy that I was still alive, I felt ashamed. Was this how it would always be? I'd be the one that the crew had to bail out of trouble because my stupidity had gotten us into some terrible mess. The biggest fear I had on my mind as I began to pass out was what if my stupidity ended up getting us into trouble that we couldn't get out of.

* * *

The next morning, I awoke with a fever aboard the ship. I sat up quickly, the sweat pouring down my face as I pulled aside the blanket that had been draped over me to see the white gauze wrapped around my leg. The memories from the previous night came flooding back as a voice called out to me from the shadows. "That was a really stupid move kid." The voice was one I immediately recognized, even before the scarlet haired beauty stepped out of the shadows. "Seriously, what were you thinking running off like that? I don't understand how a kid who knows so much about ships can know so little about being a sailor. Didn't your uncle teach you anything about anything?"

"He taught me the sort of person I didn't want to be." I muttered, causing the Captain to sigh before tossing me an orange.

"Eat this."

I looked at the small piece of fruit in my hand before looking at her curiously. "An orange?"

"No it's an unborn whale fetus. Yes an orange! Will you just eat the damned thing."

I immediately did as she instructed, peeling off the outer rind before finishing it off quickly. Strangely, as I finished eating it I felt my fever going away, the pain in my leg subsiding as I looked to her in surprise. "Wow that…actually made me feel much better." I said causing her to shake her head.

"That's because those thieves had some nasty stuff on their blades. You were coming down with scurvy. Lucky for you, that's why we always keep oranges on board." Just as she turned to leave I reached out and grabbed her wrist causing her to wheel about quickly, hand on her pistol. Upon seeing that I wasn't trying to do anything she sighed, letting her hand drop.

"Captain…thank you." I whispered, "For everything. I know that it must get annoying that you have to keep looking after me, but I want you to know that I do appreciate it. I promise, I'll work hard to become a great sailor." I saw that odd gleam appear in her eyes as she pulled her hand from mine and turned around quickly.

"You can rest for another hour, then you can leave the ship to buy some supplies. We set sail mid-day with or without you." She snapped coldly, walking up the steps as she tried to conceal what I already knew. Something was definitely wrong with her, but I also knew that I wasn't allowed to ask.

I laid there in the cot, staring up at the ceiling as Cayman came down with a sack of oranges on his back and seeing I was awake he smiled. "Well if it isn't the heroic vigilante, awake after a night of crimefight on the streets of Bilgewater. I trust the captain gave you the lowdown on what happened?" I nodded.

"Cayman?"

"Yeah kid?"

"Do you know what's wrong with the captain?" He froze for a moment, staring at me intently before the same playful smile came back to his face.

"She's probably just tired of having to save your ass every few minutes." He teased causing me to frown. Now I knew he knew, he just didn't want to tell me. It was obvious by the way he was avoiding the question. "Anyway, Captain wanted me to let you know that your hour is up. She told me to come with you to the market in case you needed to buy any more supplies. She also wants you to replace the water barrel you destroyed."

"Understood." I replied, swinging my legs off the cot and standing on them shakily. Once I managed to regain my balance I walked towards the steps with Cayman behind me. "Hey Cayman, can I ask you something?"

"About the captain?"

"No. I wanted to know if you would teach me to become a sailor. After what happened last night with Gangplank and the muggers…I don't want to be the anchor that holds back our crew." Cayman smiled at me and shrugged.

"Don't sell yourself short. An anchor is very important for a ship."

"I'm serious Cayman. I don't want to endanger you guys anymore by having you have to come to my rescue every time I do something stupid."

The large darkman scratched his chin, pondering how best to respond before nodding his head. "Tell you what kid, after we get back from shopping in the marketplace, we'll talk about getting you a blade, then I'll teach you how to use it. Sound good?"

"Yes sir." I replied, walking up to the deck to do a quick inventory of what we had and what we needed before going to secure more supplies. Equipped with my list, I informed Cayman that I was ready to travel, before setting out from the docks. With all the money I'd managed to earn from the drinking challenge, I was surprised by how much it could net me in Bilgewater. Admittedly, I'd thrown up all the grog, but apparently that wasn't a hindrance to the challenge.

After buying all the necessary materials, I began searching for some other ingredients, eager to prove my value on the ship. Copper shavings, Pine Resin, Saltpeter, quicklime, some naptha and just a small amount of sulfur allowed me to make a new weapon for the ship, assuming that Miss Fortune would allow me to tinker around with some of the ship's systems. Cayman looked over my shoulder as I continued making my purchases, grabbing a large billow and a long steel pipe. I also took the time to purchase some upgraded tools that would allow me to fix things more efficiently on the ship. The last thing I wanted was a repeat of water barrel incident where I found myself ill-equipped to make an essential repair.

"Now I know that when it comes to repairing the ship you're the expert kid, but what the heck is all this stuff for anyway?" Cayman asked, holding on to the huge sack of the different materials as I began to look into the cannonballs to ensure they were of a high enough quality for what we wanted.

"It's for a new weapon for the ship. I remember reading about it in one of my uncle's books on old ships and pirates. He never really liked me looking at it, but the only reason I know so much about ships is because I would sneak peeks at the book whenever I got the chance." He looked inside of the sack again before frowning.

"I'll believe that when I see it. I've never heard of any weapon using this sort of stuff before. And why do you keep looking at the cannonballs? We've got more than enough on the ship."

"Again, this is for new weaponry. Right now you're only able to take down smaller bounties because their ships have less cannons, so a broadside from you tops a broadside from them. But the truth is that smaller ships may be able to outrun you if you're not careful. In the hands of a really skilled captain, a small sloop may even succeed in sinking us. My aim is to ensure that doesn't happen." Returning back to the ship with at least twenty cannon balls, about 50 feet of chain and the rest of the equipment, I was confident that our next encounters with a bounty wouldn't be as damaging as the last one.

Upon our return, I immediately set to work. Taking a drill, I began to craft a wide hole in the bow of the ship, making sure that it was just wide enough for the steel pipe to fit through, but also small enough to be able to plug up when the pipe wasn't in use to prevent water from breaching the hull. As if on cue, Miss Fortune appeared behind me, hands on her hips. "And what in Gods' names do you think you're doing to my ship?!" She cried as I blew the sawdust from the hole that I'd just made. Turning to her I smiled, pulling the goggles up from my eyes to the top of my head.

"I'm equipping it with a new weapon." I replied, slipping the steel pipe inside to ensure that it fit well.

"Oh of course, how silly of me that I forgot to install the pipe of doom!" She snapped back. "Didn't you think to ask me before just drilling holes all willy nilly in my ship?! Water's going to get in now and if we take on too much it'll sink us. You do know what it means when a ship sinks don't you?!"

"I'm making Rakkorian fire." I explained, applying a generous amount of tar around the pipe to ensure it would stay in place as I continued my work. Miss Fortune raised an eyebrow curiously.

"Rakkorian what?"

"Rakkorian Fire. It's an ancient weapon whose formula was lost a long time ago, but I think I can figure it out for us. If we do it'll allow us to burn enemy ships without even having to risk a broadside. That's what the pipe is for. It serves as a nozzle for the flames."

"Well that sounds all fine and excellent, but setting a ship on fire while we're surrounded by water on all sides of us doesn't exactly scream beneficial." She replied causing me to smile over my shoulder at her.

"This is a very special fire. Unlike other flames, this one doesn't go out when it touches water." Walking towards me she crouched down to inspect what I was doing.

"How?"

"Well that's the tricky part. No one can figure out exactly how they did it, but I think I've cracked it. See Pine resin is a type of tree sap that's highly flammable. Once it starts burning it doesn't really stop. Only problem is that the pine resin doesn't flow so well and eventually hardens. But using these other chemicals it will help to keep it in a volatile liquid form that will allow us to spray it onto our enemies. The billow I bought allows us to build up pressure before we release all the air out into the substance meaning we'll be able to shoot flames up to fifty feet away."

"And the copper shavings?" She asked curiously.

"Because it makes it look cooler."

"I'm sorry?" Taking one of the copper pieces in a pair of tongs I held it over a flame, showing how they turned from bright orange to a ghastly green and blue.

"See? Now everyone will be talking about the mysterious nameless ship that belches out emerald flames that can't be put out by water." Miss Fortune smiled as she leaned forward and placed a kiss on my cheek.

"Keep it up my little genius. You're doing great work." She purred before walking back towards the deck. I smiled, watching her hips sway back and forth as she left before returning to my work, trying hard not to let my Captain's beauty distract me. I swore that I'd make sure I didn't hold back the crew anymore, and I knew that in order to do that, I'd have to make this ship the most feared vessel on the seas.

As I blended in the ingredients for the Rakkorian fire, I worked to set up the billow, ensuring that was properly hooked into the pressure chamber. Finished with my work, I corked the pipe, preventing water from flowing into the hull before returning back to the gunhouse where the cannons were kept. I had one more invention for the ship, and this one would cement my place in the crew once and for all. With the cannon balls I had purchased, I began working to fuse two ends of a ten foot segment of chain to a shot each. The rest of the powder monkeys watched in curiosity at the strange kids that seemed to be tying balls together. After I finished with them I smiled and called the others to come look. The men grumbled for a moment, they weren't comfortable about me asking them to do anything.

"These are chain shots." I explained, "When you're loading them, make sure you put one ball in each cannon with the chain on the outside of the hull. Fire both cannons at the same time and aim for their masts. These suckers will rip through a small ship's sails like a hot knife through butter." When I was sure that the men understood, I went to the upper decks and informed Miss Fortune that we were ready to set sail. Smiling she gave the order to put the sheets to the wind. Our next bounty was one that would truly put our courage to the test. The Ghost Ship of the Blue Flame Isles was our next target.

To be continued…


	4. Chapter 4

Three Sheets to the Wind Ch. 4

Author's Note: So...I don't think it's any secret that I often come to doubt myself or my abilities. I know that many of you guys probably get sick of hearing me sink into self-disgust because of some cruel comment or criticism left by people who, in my humble opinion, are jerks. Lately, I've felt like I've lost touch with myself, my writing, and my work in general. But no more. I've been thinking long and hard, and the truth is that there are people in the world influencing it who shouldn't be. There are writers, game designers, directors, musicians, and people in every entertainment industry in existence who are willing to use greed, corruption, and sin in order to stand on the backs of the good and hardworking people despite that they don't deserve it. And I realized, that by being so harsh on myself because of what some people think...all I'm doing is letting that happen, and I won't do that anymore. It may be self-indulgent, I may be naive and idealistic, hell, they could even call me uncreative or repetitive, but I'm not going to give up and I'm not going to let them win. I know many of you are writers, many of you are artists in one way or another and I want you all to know that if there is anything you ever need me to do or to support your work, you have it. I'm finished backing down from the cruelty in this world, and I'm going to keep writing what I want, how I want it, regardless of anyone who attempts to silence me. I hope you all do the same.

Because at the end of the day, it's up to all of us to shape the world. I'm not going to let it be ruined by those who want it all for themselves. Thank you to those who have given me such great support, I don't intend to betray it. Not now, not ever. -Kiba

My heart was pounding as soon as I managed to struggle back to my feet. Already my breathing was ragged as the dark-skinned first mate approached me with a hearty laugh. "You're going to have to do better than that kid." He laughed, pointing the short wooden stick at me. "If this were a real blade, you'd have been dead a long time ago. How did you manage to beat our guys again?"

"Ha ha. Very funny." I snapped back, grabbing up the "weapon" that he'd skillfully knocked out of my hands.

"Your stance is far too casual. This is a fight for your life boy, even an inch in the wrong spot and you're as good as gone! Keep your back straight, weight centered between both front and back legs. I'm coming at you now. Try to anticipate my movements." My eyes focused on his as he stepped forward, casually as though he were just walking up to an acquaintance. My knuckles were white with how tightly they clasped on to the handle, and just as he lifted up his stick, I thrust the stick towards him only for him to simply tap me on the head, a little less than gently. "Know what you did wrong that time?" He asked as I placed my hand to my head, stumbling back.

"Agreed to this lesson?" I asked, causing him to chuckle.

"I'm bigger than you." He replied.

I looked up at him. "No shit? I thought it was just because I was slouching." His grin turned into a frown as he quickly swept my legs from under me with the stick and, as I fell, managed to drive his stick into my gut.

"Boy, I'm going to have to beat that smart out of your head if you keep talking to your higher-ups all sarcastic like. I meant that I'm bigger than you, which gives me the advantage of reach. I'm able to hit you before you can hit me."

I groaned, standing to my feet shakily. "Yeah…okay. Sorry, just frustrated is all." The glint in his eyes seemed to betray his forgiveness before he sighed, scratching his back with the stick.

"Maybe we should call it a day." He said, turning away.

"N-no!" I quickly called out, causing him to pause. "I'm sorry. I won't be sarcastic anymore. I just…I can't have you and the captain saving me all the time. When I'm not useful anymore I'm dead. Isn't that how things go on this ship?"

Cayman just laughed again. "With the way you fight? I'd say you'd be dead long before then." His eyes went out over the pitch black sea looking up to the full moon that glistened upon it like the sole beacon of light within a storm. "It's been three days you know…since we started this training."

I glanced down at my feet. "And I haven't made any progress… I know. I'm sorry Cayman, I'm doing my best. Honest."

"Boatswain."

"Yes sir?"

Cayman turned to me, and walking closer he placed his hand on my shoulder. "Listen to me son, you may not realize it, but you've come a far way from the sniveling whelp we dragged off a sorry smuggling ship. It may not seem like you're getting better…but you have to remember I've been doing this all my life…several of them."

"What do you mean?" He looked nervous, as though unsure of what to say.

"Let's just say kid…there are worse things in the world than cold-blooded pirates. At one point, I was one of them. Things are different now, that's all you need to know. Now then, again!" Turning back to me, he raised his 'sword' striking out quickly. I barely managed to move fast enough to block his strikes, and everyone felt as if hammers were raining down upon me.

"What in GODS' names are you two doing?!" A feminine voice startled me, causing me to lower my guard just as Cayman managed to whack me on the side of the head, making me fall to deck hard. I quickly clambered back up, offering a salute to the captain as Cayman chuckled.

"Sorry Captain," he said, "We didn't mean to wake you. I was just trying to teach the rookie a few lessons on how to hold his own in a fight."

Miss Fortune looked down at me, arms crossed over her chest. She wasn't dressed in her normal wear; rather she was wearing some sort of silk night gown that wavered in the cool sea breeze. It was easy to tell that she wasn't wearing any sort of corset or bra, so I tried desperately to ensure my eyes remained in hers. She seemed to notice. "Is there a reason you're staring at my face so intently Flintlock?" She asked, causing me to immediately turn red.

"N-no ma'am, just dizzy from the blow Cayman gave me. To be honest, I'm seeing at least three of you now." I laughed nervously causing her to shake her head with a sigh.

"Don't lie to me Flintlock, you're terrible at it." Looking towards the first mate she gestured towards the hold. "Cayman, return to your cabin and get some shut eye. I'll take over from here."

"Ma'am?" He asked surprised.

Her eyes immediately focused on him. "Do you truly want me to repeat myself?" She growled, and Cayman immediately shook his head.

"As usual captain, you're absolutely right. I'm rather tired and I'm having a hard time hearing you. I'll get some sleep. Shall I report back in a few hours for fire watch?" The two of them met eyes again. It was something that they often did, and I'd begun to suspect it was as if they were speaking in code to one another. It was unsettling to say the least, but at the same time I knew that the two of them knew each other well enough that they wouldn't have to use code. They could simply read the other's face and know exactly what words were on their lips.

"That won't be necessary. Since our boatswain has so much energy, I believe he'll be able to perform firewatch well on his own." Cayman's eyes closed and he let out a deep breath.

"As you command Captain. I bid you both good night." He turned to return to his cabin, raising a hand to wave a lazy farewell and soon it was just the Captain and me standing on the deck.

After a few moments of silent, my lips parted to speak. "Captain, I…"

"Do you find me weak Flintlock?" She asked, cutting off my words.

"What? Of course not, ma'am!"

"Do you think me foolish?"

I shook my head furiously. "Never Captain."

She bit her lip, as if analyzing my words down to every syllable. "Then why is it that you are so easily able to stare me in the eye despite knowing that in half of a heartbeat, I could easily put a bullet in your skull?"

Her question confused me. What did she mean by that? "I'm…not sure I understand Captain." I admitted carefully, not wishing to anger her. "Have I disrespected you in anyway? If I have, I promise I didn't do so knowingly."

"And what if you did Flintlock?" She asked, walking closer so that the pale moonlight now caused her ivory skin to shimmer. "Your apologies are meaningless to me. If you truly upset me, to the point where I was ready to kill you, what would you do?"

My breath caught in my throat. How could she expect me to even answer that question? "I'm…not sure ma'am." I replied softly, praying that my words didn't remove me from her good graces. "The truth Captain, is I'm not sure what I'd do."

"Would you do nothing? Simply let me kill you?" I shook my head. "So you'd try to kill me then? Is that it?"

"No Captain. I just…"

"Do you not believe that I would kill you?" She asked.

I swallowed again, trying to choose my words very carefully. "I…don't believe…I'd give you a reason to kill me Captain."

Now it was her turn to take a sharp breath. "And why is that?" She asked. "Are you truly so valuable?"

This time I knew my answer. "No ma'am. But…I believe that you would never kill me…because I know that if it were within my power I'd never do anything to give you reason to." A soft giggle escaped her lips.

"I see. And why is that?"

I wasn't entirely sure why the Captain continued to ask these questions. I thought she had told Cayman she'd wanted to train me. I could see she was waiting for my response and every second I took to answer her question seemed to cause something to build up in her eyes. I couldn't determine what that look she was giving me was, but I knew I didn't like it. "Because…well, you're my Captain, Captain."

"Does it bother you having a female Captain?"

Again I was stumped by her question. "Permission to speak freely ma'am?" I asked nervously.

"Granted. I want to hear what you actually think, no strings attached."

Here goes nothing. "Ma'am, I think that the biggest insult that you could ever give me is doubting my word. I'd never give you a reason to kill me Captain, because you've pulled me from the fire more times than I can count, to the point where I know that if I ever had the opportunity to do the same for you I would in a heartbeat. To be perfectly honest and frank, the reason I am able to look you in the eye isn't because I'm trying to challenge your authority or prove myself brave. I see the way that other crewmen, bounties, and pirates look at you. They either fear you, lust after you, or both. Their eyes are either on your body or at their feet, but either way, none of them dares to say a word because they know that to do so would be a risk to their lives. I look you in the eyes because I respect you. You're beautiful, stunning even. But that doesn't hold a candle to the fact that if I had to pick just one person in the world that I'd follow anywhere in the world I would choose you. Not because I'd be afraid of dying. If you told me to do something dangerous I'd do it anyway. I trust you completely and I'm willing to risk my life on the belief that you deserve nothing less than my absolute devotion and loyalty. That and well…your nipples are showing through your shirt and I don't want to be rude…ma'am." I added at the final moment as she simply stared at me stunned. "I apologize for my directness ma'am."

She shook her head, banishing the apology. "I don't…know what to say."

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about ma'am…you couldn't have known…"

"No. Not that." She whispered, cutting me off again. She cleared her throat, recomposing herself as I pondered what the consequences of my loud mouth would be. "Tell me Flintlock…because you spend so much time staring to my eyes, what are the things you have seen in them?"

"Courage. Dedication. And…" my words trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"And?"

"Kindness." I whispered. "And while I know…that's not what you want to hear because every sailor I've spoken to feels that Kindness is a weakness to be ashamed of…but I know that the kindness you have is one of strength, not weakness. You can tell when someone deserves a chance and when someone doesn't, and that you saw that chance in me is something I will never forget for as long as I live, Ma'am."

Her ruby red lips curled into a grin. "So…you would tell me something, knowing full well that I may not like what you had to say?" She asked, her eyes shimmering.

"I'd never lie to you ma'am. Well…except just then when you asked me why I was staring at your face, which I'm truly sorry about. I wouldn't ever want to give you a reason to doubt my honesty, is what I'm saying, I guess…" I stammered awkwardly.

"Follow me." She commanded, walking back to her quarters. I watched as she gave me a smirk that could melt the heart of even the coldest man before beckoning me to come closer. "Come on now Flintlock, I won't bite. Though you strike me as the kind who wouldn't mind if I did." I nodded, approaching her cabin as she disappeared into the soft glow of the lanterns that kept it lit, pausing just outside of her doorway.

Her room was beautiful, decorated in the finest silks and gems from whatever treasures she'd managed to commandeer. But despite what I could see, what struck me hardest was the scent. The air was heavy and musky, a scent that spoke to the deepest recesses of my biology and I couldn't help but feel a heat burning in my veins as the captain bent down, giving me a look at her soft and shapely legs. I quickly averted my eyes as she began to root through her trunk, as if searching for something. "Ma'am?" I asked softly but she just held up her finger without even looking back.

When at last she straightened, her cherry curls fell over one of her eyes as she sauntered closer, holding an ornate box in her hand. "Now then…I promised to train you for combat, and train you I shall. But before I do…there is something I need to give you." Walking closer to me, she held it out, her arms resting beneath it as though presenting me with something more fragile and delicate than a flower. Nervously I looked from her to the box and began to reach for it to open it, but she quickly pulled it away from my grasp. "Listen closely Flintlock…before you open this box, you're going to have to come to a decision about something. The truth is I've done some bad things in my life, and I work every day to ensure that the mistakes I've made are not repeated. I'm not promising that while you're serving under me that I'm going to be perfect. In fact, I know I'll make mistakes. So before you decide to open the box and take what's inside, you need to ask yourself if you're ready to commit to a flawed captain and her journey to achieve her goals? Because I'm going to do it, and I'll do it through blood and fire if I have to." She slowly held out the box once more.

"The entire world is flawed." I whispered, my hand running over the smooth painted wood. "But it's our flaws that make us who we are. You may have your flaws and crimes Captain…but I know that so long as I'm under your command…I'm going to do my best to help you fight for your dreams. I don't know if I'll be more help or hindrance…the truth is, I'm absolutely terrified of what I'm going to find in this box." My hands were shaking as they went to the ornate golden latch, my eyes rising to stare fiercely into hers. "But you're my Captain…and the person I respect more than anyone else in the world. I'd follow you into the depths of the nine hells." With that, my fingers unhooked the latch, and lifting the lid of the box my eyes fell on to two of the most beautiful weapons I'd ever seen. Letting out a breath, I slowly reached in, lifting the long and narrow basket hilt from its case. Sliding it from the sheathe, it glimmered in the lantern light. The blade was beautiful and ornate, etched with long complex swirls that resembled thorns. Holding it, it was surprisingly light, and examining its craftsmanship, I could scarcely believe she was giving it to me. Carefully, returning it to the box, I then ran my fingers over the black iron pistol, also engraved, though the barrel on this one had an intricate rose. "What are these…and why are you giving them to me?" I gasped in awe.

"They belonged to one of the greatest men I've ever had the pleasure of capturing for a bounty, and one of the things that even now haunts me. It was the first time I'd ever regretted capturing a bounty and I couldn't bring myself to get rid of either of these. I've been waiting to give them to someone who deserved them, and I believe that is you. Their names are Obsidian Rose and Silver Thorn. Take good care of them; there are none like them in the world." I nodded, strapping them both to my waist, the extra weight of both of them nothing in comparison to the weight of their meaning.

"Captain I…"

"Not another word Flintlock. No one is to know where you got these weapons…do you understand me?" I nodded. "Good. Now then, continue practicing what Cayman taught you about sword play. I know you well enough to know you can aim a gun." With that, the beautiful woman shooed me out of her cabin before closing the door behind me. I didn't even hear her groan as her legs began to grow weak beneath her.

The rest of the night went on rather uneventfully. As I had promised her, I continued to practice with Silver Thorn, my blade dashing in and out of an invisible opponent's range. While I knew I wasn't able to practice with Obsidian Rose yet, since the crew was sleeping, I resolved myself that once I was done with my duties tomorrow, I'd set up some sort of target practice, with the Captain's permission of course. Just as I was about to practice another thrust, my ears popped as the barometric pressure fell. My eyes immediately looked up towards our sails. Was a storm coming? They lay unwavering in the wind, completely still. And that was when I realized something was wrong. I could no longer hear the sound of waves against our hull and looking forward, I watched a great fog begin to roll in. From the massive ominous mist, a ship that was tattered and vile looking sailed closer, their sails ripped but puffed outward on a current that didn't exist. The ghost ship! Immediately I rushed back to the cabin, banging on the door. "Captain!" I called out fiercely.

"Flynn what is…?" Her words trailed off and she looked behind me, seeing the large ship looming ever closer to us. "Flintlock! Battlestations! Wake up the rest of the crew and make sure we sink this thing for good. I won't have any phantoms attempting to have their way with my ship." I nodded, and immediately set to my task.

Cries began to rise across the ship as everyone began to prepare the cannons. I wasn't entirely sure if the Rakkorian Fire would work on the ghost ship, but I immediately began to prepare it anyway, taking two men with me to work the billows. Knowing I'd have to light it, I returned to the top deck, informing them that they were to begin pumping at my signal. When I arrived there, Miss Fortune was already dressed in her normal attire, twisting the helm of the ship to narrowly avoid our attackers. Grabbing a lantern I hung it on a rod, going to lower it in front of the ship. "Flintlock what are you doing?!" The captain shouted.

"Rakkorian fire! Try to aim our nose at them!" She nodded, turning the ship to spin so that we would be at our enemy's rear. I smirked, now to just torch their rudder and they'd be…my thoughts vanished as with a shimmer, the boat vanished before reappearing facing the other direction. "LIGHT IT NOW!" I screamed just as a burst of emerald flames erupted from the front of our ship towards the phantoms. However, the fire went straight through them, as though they weren't even there.

"What magic is this?" Cayman growled as they turned, firing a broad side into our front, presumably killing the men who were working the billows. Almost immediately, long wicked hooks came flying towards the deck. Rushing towards Cayman, I quickly shoved him out of the way as a barb splintered into the wood where he stood. Sliding down from the higher ship's deck, creatures began to grab other sailors, stabbing them while they were shocked by their fierce appearance. The deck became a slaughter, and just as I drew Obsidian Rose, I managed to fire, knocking one of the vile beasts from the rope he was crossing. I began to rush outward, Silver Thorn in my other hand and slicing through the ropes that connected us. We had to retreat! The captain seemed to understand what I was attempting and violently spun the wheel to starboard so that they we began to pull away.

However, more hooks began to fly through the air, one of them managing to sink into an unlucky helmsman who wasn't able to dodge in time. We were trapped by these monsters, and I began to fear that our battle was one that was nearly over. But then I heard a scream. Turning I saw two of the undead figures, dragging the captain struggling back towards the ship. "Captain!" I called out to her, firing my pistol quickly, managing to destroy one of her captors, before he was replaced by another one. Cayman quickly grabbed the wheel, jerking it hard and ripping the hooks from the decks. This time no more flew, but the Captain had already been carried across. We were starting to pull away, and Cayman didn't seem to be eager to reclaim the Captain at the risk of the other soldiers. I could already feel my bloodboiling at the thought of him abandoning her, but I knew I had to put that aside. Sheathing my blade I quickly climbed the rigging. Just as the ship began to tilt, I screamed and ran towards the side, jumpin with all my might towards the ship. "Flintlock don't!" Cayman screamed, but it was too late as I managed to catch on to the rigging of the ghost ship.

The boat lurched, pulling away from our vessel and I saw Cayman watching in shock as the skeletal crew began to approach me with weapons drawn. I could see them holding the Captain further updeck, their sharp claw like fingers tearing at her as she attempted to pull from their grip. Her entire body was quivering, and immediately I drew my weapons and began to fight my way through the mob. The undead hissed and lunged at me, but with Obsidian Rose and Silver Thorn, I was able to slash and blast my way to my Captain through a cloud of bone dust. However, from the deck more skeletons began to rise eager to destroy the bounty hunter who had sought to sink them back into the ocean.

I ran for her as I watched her face take on a strange expression, the same kind she had when she was suffering from her illness, and I knew that it was up to me to save her. I lowered my shoulder, slamming into one of her captors and quickly blasting the other one from her arm as my hand went to her wrist. "Flintlock?!" She gasped in surprise, her eyes widening as I began to pull her towards the ramparts. But as I did, my eyes took in a nightmarish sight. The ship was gone, sailing out of the expansive fog that was now closing us off. I swore, looking around myself as they began to surround us.

I pushed her behind me, leveling my gun and blade forward. "Don't worry Captain, I'll find a way out of this mess for us."

"Flynn…"she breathed heavily as the crew advanced more. But suddenly they stopped, empty glowing eyes locked on the two of us as a man dressed in strange robes stepped out from the captain's quarters.

"Somehow I think not boy." He laughed as the skeletons made way from him. "So this is the infamous Miss Sarah Fortune. Good work my pets, you've brought quite the prize to me. And I do so plan on unwrapping this present." I again placed myself between the two, pointing my gun at him.

"I won't let you touch my Captain." I growled, causing him to just laugh.

"And you brought her pet dog too. Absolutely adorable. But tell me son, what has this woman done to earn such devotion from you? Are you truly willing to go toe to toe with a powerful necromancer like me? You're out of your league boy. Now, step aside…or else I'll kill you and then make you step aside. I've got a _bone_ to pick with this bounty hunter."

Time seemed to be running out as I glanced over my shoulder to see a life boat nearby. Before the skeletons could stop me, I shoved Sarah hard toppling her over into the boat before I sliced the ropes that held it, causing her to fall into the murky water below. "Damn it! Stop him you imbeciles!" He growled, but it was too late. I narrowly avoided the sharp claws that tore down my back as I leapt from the ship. With a splash, I shot down into the watery depths before scrambling to the top, looking around desperately. Seeing the lifeboat, I swam towards it as fast as I could, hooking an arm over the edge and pulling myself up into it, gasping for breath as the ghost ship vanished into the fog, leaving my Captain and I stranded. She was out, most likely from shock or perhaps he hit her head against the life boat when I'd shoved her, but the important thing was that she was still alive. I'd done it…I'd succeeded and rescued her. I looked down at Obsidian Rose…she'd become emerged in water and checking it I discovered that sure enough it was water logged. I'd have to try it out before I could use it again. Even still, I sat in the boat, one hand on my blade, the other on the pistol as I watched over the dozing beauty, in case the ship came back.

An hour later, she began to stir, her eyes fluttering open as she gasped softly, her body convulsing as though she had a fever. I quickly took off my coat, wringing out as much moisture as I could before wrapping it around her in an attempt to keep her warm. "Captain…?" I asked softly, causing her to look at me before clutching the cloth around her tighter. "Don't worry Captain, we're safe. The ghost ship is gone."

Miss Fortune looked around he, slowly making her way to sit up as I quickly moved to help support her. Her body felt incredibly warm as I pulled her against me for stability. "And out crew?" She finally asked.

"Gone." I replied softly. "Cayman took our ship and left us."

"Good." She breathed a sigh of relief as she pressed herself against me fiercely. "That means he's following the code."

"Ma'am…how is that good at all?! He was going to leave you on that monstrosity so that that…fiend…could have his way with you."

"As you should have!" She snapped. "The pirate code states that should the captain be taken, the priority is to get the crew out first. Damn it Flintlock, what were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that I could save you! Which I did!"

She chuckled rubbing the bridge of her nose in frustration. "Flintlock…I appreciate what you did…really, but you need to realize something. There is no room in this life for playing hero! You have a good heart, truly you do, and one day it is going to get you killed."

"With all due respect ma'am…I'd rather die a hero then live as someone who'd abandon their friends." I felt the stinging of my cheek before I saw her hand move, and when I looked up at her, I could see the anger in her eyes.

"You just don't get it! No single person on that entire ship is worth saving, do you understand me? There are many reasons people get into the life of being a bounty hunter. You think some of those low-level bilge rats are there to make off with a life-time of treasure? Did it ever occur to you that maybe some of the people on those ship have something to live for other than being part of my crew? They have families, people they love, and missions of their own. When the chips are down, you pull away and you get as many people out of there as you possibly can, regardless of rank! That's what being a captain means! It doesn't mean getting a bigger share of treasure, it doesn't mean getting to boss people around, it means having a responsibility to your crew first, your ship second, and yourself third and it is a lesson you need to take to heart very quickly if you want to continue living this life." I gently rubbed my cheek as her words stung more than the slap. I almost felt ashamed for having done what I did now. That was when I felt her hand slip beneath my chin to tilt it upward to look at her. "Flynn…I want you to understand. I'm not saying this because I'm not grateful. But I've seen you at work…I watched you slash your way through an entire crew just to get to me and I've experienced first-hand the amount of potential you have in being a captain of your own some day. I'm telling you these things because I know that the world will be better off when you've learned these lessons, not because I want you to get out of this life. Do you understand?"

I nodded gently. "Yes Captain, though…" I looked around us, the ocean seemingly stretching in every direction away from the small lifeboat. "I'm not entirely sure how well it will do us now. It's just the two of us…and we've no food but I do have a half-full canteen. And I don't see any land on the horizon." I looked up to see another shudder run through her body as she looked at me with those piercing eyes of hers, the ones that indicated her illness.

"Damn it…" she whimpered, "not now."

"Captain? Listen, Captain I know you're not well. Just tell me how I can help and I'll…" I began to move closer but immediately her foot lashed out, catching me in the chest and pinning me down in the boat, her breathing ragged.

"No! Stay away…do not come closer." She gasped. "You don't understand Flynn, this isn't a sickness that can be treated."

I gently placed my hands on her foot, going to move it away but as soon as my hands touched her calf a flash of innate pleasure crossed over her features as she let out a soft sigh, collapsing weakly backward on to the ship. "Captain?" I asked softly, trying to understand what was wrong with her. She seemed to enjoy it when I just touched her leg…perhaps she was sore and massaging her would help? "Here Captain…you don't have to be embarrassed, I honestly don't mind helping." My hand began to stroke her leg gently, moving on its own accord as I attempted to warm and loosen the muscle in it.

"N-no! Don't…st-stop." Her words began to cut off and weaken as I continued massaging her leg and foot. "Y-you're just making it…w-worse!" She gasped flopping backwards allowing me further access to her shapely leg.

"Sorry Captain…but you seem to be enjoying it…"

"Of course I'm enjoying it!" She whimpered, lifting her leg so that I could travel to her lower thigh, bracing her foot on my shoulder. "Th-that's the probl-problem…"

I smiled softly to her. "Captain…you really don't have to be so proud you know. I'm happy help. Besides…who am I going to tell? We're alone and it's not as if I have any friends to blab too." Her normally pale skin became flushed, and that's when I saw the damp patch starting to form between her legs, causing me to blush. "C-captain?" I asked as she lifted her scarlet hair from her eyes to look into mine. I could see a hunger there that I hadn't before.

I watched as her hands slowly traveled down her body and undid her fly, before slowly and carefully slipping from her leather leggings. I could feel the heat in my own body rising, just what was going on?! "If you're going to do it Flynn…do it right…"she gasped, pulling her leggings away and then using her foot to gently caress my cheek urging me to continue.

"Ma'am…are you sure I should…?"

Her foot linked behind my head pulling me hard enough that it yanked me off balance towards her. "You started this damn it…"she growled, "you'd better finish it too." Nodding obediently, my fingers ran up the sides of her thighs, causing soft purrs to escape her lips. This close to her, I could smell the desire rolling from her body, and I tried desperately not to think about it. This was my Captain after all, I couldn't just…I mean she was the Captain! As I leaned closer to run my hands further, I barely noticed her hands stretch upward before tugging on my hair hard, pulling me down between her legs drowning me in her scent. "Gods yes! You'd better get to it if you don't want to disappoint me." My eyes widened at her words, she couldn't possibly mean…her hips thrust upward sensually, grinding against my face as she mewed in desire. Clearly that was exactly what she meant.

With shaky hands, I began to feel my heart race as I tried desperately to understand what was happening. But if it was what the Captain wanted…my fingers gently stroked the fabric that was beneath me, causing it to only become more thoroughly soaked through. Trembling, I looked up to see her eagerly awaiting my progression and so for the first time in my life I placed my lips upon a woman's body. I gently pulled aside her undergarments, gently kissing her again, this time tasting her desire. She pulled me even more roughly between her legs, ordering more from me and finally I gave her what she wanted. My tongue slipping in and out of her, egged on by her moans of pleasure. I was there for nearly two hours, my jaws sore and my chin soaked with her juices as I began to develop a taste for my captain.

I tried desperately to steel myself. This was the Captain, a woman whom was like a Goddess to me. She deserved far better than I, and I knew it, but with every second my resolve weakened until finally I surrendered to my desires, throwing myself into her throws with a long-dormant hunger. Fire was burning inside of me like it had never done before and soon she rewarded me with one last intense moan, arching her back as my maw was flooded with her climax, nearly drowning me as I coughed in surprise, swallowing much of it. Her body collapsed then, ragged and exhausted as she weakly pulled me upwards towards her. "You…need practice…" she purred before pulling me into her arms, placing a soft kiss on my lips. I shyly returned the kiss, taking her into my arms as well before I could hear her softly dozing, her eyes closed in a bizarre slumber. My lips parted from hers, and unsure of what to do I simply rested my head beside hers and in time sleep took me as well, making me wonder if perhaps I was dreaming all of this.

To be continued…


End file.
